SEC. 501 INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND PARENTAL CHOICE PROVISIONS

TITLE V — PROMOTING INFORMED PARENTAL CHOICE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

PART A — INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

SEC. 5101. PURPOSES, STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

(a) PURPOSES- The purposes of this part are the following:

(1) To support local education reform efforts that are consistent with and support statewide education reform efforts.

(2) To provide funding to enable State educational agencies and local educational agencies to implement promising educational reform programs and school improvement programs based on scientifically based research.

(3) To provide a continuing source of innovation and educational improvement, including support programs to provide library services and instructional and media materials.

(4) To meet the educational needs of all students, including at-risk youth.

(5) To develop and implement education programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance, including professional development activities and class size reduction programs.

(b) STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY- The State educational agency shall bear the basic responsibility for the administration of funds made available under this part, but it is the intent of Congress that the responsibility be carried out with a minimum of paperwork and that the responsibility for the design and implementation of programs assisted under this part be mainly that of local educational agencies, school superintendents and principals, and classroom teachers and supporting personnel, because local educational agencies and individuals have the most direct contact with students and are most likely to be able to design programs to meet the educational needs of students in their own school districts.